While the Tracker and Thruxton will arrive to dealerships together, the Thruxton is listed as a 2026 model and the Tracker as a 2027 model.
forward, and passing slower- moving vehicles was effortless.
Between the more engaged riding position and the extra oomph of the engine, the Tracker is a clear step up from the Speed 400. Some shoppers might not be as drawn to the flat- track styling; I admit I’ m one of them, but the riding experience provided enough extra pizzaz to win me over.
After a hearty lunch in El Burgo, it was time to swap to the Thruxton. If I thought a 5.3- inch difference in the handlebar position between the Speed and Tracker was significant, I wasn’ t prepared for the Thruxton’ s clip- ons being a full 9.7 inches lower than the Speed’ s bar. They’ re also 1.6 inches narrower. The footpegs are positioned 3.4 inches farther back and 1.1 inches higher, putting them about equal to the Tracker’ s footpegs.
The engine provided the same exhilaration as I’ d experienced on the Tracker, but the Thruxton’ s riding position allowed me to make the most of it.
Ducking behind the fairing, I flipped the Thruxton from side to side around bend after bend and had a blast. On straighter roads and riding at highway speeds, both bikes were more than capable of moving around traffic, but a flaw revealed itself. The mirrors vibrated so much to be nearly useless. Those vibrations carried into the bars as well.
The Thruxton’ s Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV tires provided confidence, just as the Tracker’ s Pirelli MT60 RS tires had done, although I wanted better feel from their shared brakes. Up front is a 4- piston radial caliper pinching a 300mm disc, and in the rear is a 1- piston floating caliper paired with a 230mm disc. They got the job done, but their lack of feedback took a bit of the wind out of my sails – not surprising for entry- level machines. Both bikes come with switchable ABS and switchable traction control.
The Tracker and Thruxton get a new hybrid spine / perimeter frame made of tubular steel, and their bolt- on subframes are unique to account for different mounting points for the bodywork. The Tracker’ s wheelbase is a bit longer than the Thruxton’ s, giving the Tracker a more planted feel and allowing the Thruxton to more easily dip into turns.
34 / JULY 2026 / RIDERMAGAZINE. COM